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June 7, 2010 – Imagine – the entire mid-Atlantic and Northeast coast under a tornado watch.I wonder if that’s ever happened before.Considering the damage done throughout the Midwest over the weekend, it was a logical step.America’s “outback” is enduring more and more violent weather with each passing year.

E-magazine Grist has been running an outstanding series of articles by David Roberts about the American Power Act (APA).Lambasted by many for its replacement of the Clean Air Act’s stationary-source regulations with a cap-and-trade system of pollution control, there are, according to Roberts, still many reasons for supporting the APA.What might those be?

-the cap part of cap-and-trade, as defined by the APA, will provide long-term predictability, something investors value highly

-because the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is authorized to regulate atmospheric pollutants, it will have authority to enforce this cap

-the new legislation includes energy-efficiency provisions, a renewable electricity standard [I’m not sure what that means], and electric vehicle incentives

-it distributes pollution allowances to the affected industries in order to ease the transition

-it dedicates financial resources for the slowing of deforestation

-it reconnects America to the international climate change process

-it resoundingly supports nuclear energy (make of that what you will)

-EPA will be given authority to set performance standards for old, coal-fired power plants

Because our country’s old plants are a very significant source of greenhouse gases, the EPA can shut them down, retrofit them, and/or switch the source of energy. The work of decades is finally being made into law.This is a bill worth supporting! (Too bad Lindsey Graham didn’t stick around long enough to actively seek passage of the APA.The Kerry/Lieberman/Graham juggernaut would have been a force to be reckoned with.)

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